The Saga Furs auction in March 2026 was a good starting point. Every single pelt offered was sold. All 3.4 million pelts, in mink, fox, and Finnraccoon, were completely sold. The total value of brokerage sales reached €220 million, the highest figure in over ten years. Mink prices rose by an average of 76 percent year-on-year, with some categories increasing by as much as 180 percent. Fox prices were up 40 percent. More than 500 buyers attended. Markus Gotthardt, CEO of Saga Furs, said that confidence had fully returned to the market, and the figures unequivocally confirmed this. Anyone writing about fashion in 2026-2027 owes you this context first, because we believe fur will play a significant role in the season. What you see in stores this season is not arbitrary. It reflects a raw materials market that has rebounded sharply, driven by Asian demand, primarily from China and South Korea, in the face of a supply base that has shrunk considerably over the past decade. Russian sable, in particular, is experiencing the most pronounced resurgence in demand. We covered the full auction story in our article "The Fur Market's Most Dramatic Comeback in a Decade," and we refer to it here because the price environment and demand patterns are inextricably linked to trend directions.
The species that are leading this season
Russian Sable
Sable fur is inexpensive because of the brand. The guard hairs are so uniform in length and density that the surface moves as a single unit, undulating and settling back into place without any trace of disturbance. It is also the warmest fur for its weight, by far. A long sable coat is lighter than most heavy wool coats. Supply is regulated by the state and cannot grow to meet demand. The rarest natural color qualities, such as Carbonio, appear only in very small numbers within this already limited harvest.
Forecast: Long and three-quarter length coats, natural, undyed color. Demand from our clients for sable in our showroom is at a multi-year high. It's the prestige trend of the season, and supply constraints mean it will remain so.
Mink
Mink remains the broadest and most versatile material in its category. MANZARI sources Saga Furs Velvet quality lots and Blackglama certified lots, the top fraction of each auction. Price increases are real and significant, but mink still offers more entry points than any other species, as it works in all lengths and constructions.
Forecast: Mink is leading the contemporary direction. It reads as modern rather than traditional, pairs well with the structured and fitted outerwear shapes that will dominate for F/W 2026-2027, and is more practical for everyday wear. Let-out mink in long and three-quarter lengths is the choice of customers who want the classic, well-made long coat.
Swakara
Swakara fur comes from Karakul lambs raised in Namibia, where the breed has been developed for over a century. The name is a protected geographical designation. What distinguishes it from all other furs is its tight, natural curl and semi-glossy surface. No two pelts are ever identical. The result is a coat with true visual depth and an almost graphic quality, which reads very differently from the softness of sable or chinchilla.
Forecast: Swakara has its loyal following, but it's probably not the species that will break through this season. The broader direction on the runways for Fall/Winter 2026-2027 favors softer, more fluid silhouettes rather than structured, graphic ones, which is where swakara excels. It remains an excellent choice for customers who know exactly what they want. For someone new to fur this season, the other species on this list are likely to look more in line with the current direction in fashion.
Chinchilla
The softest fur in existence. Chinchilla has truly hypoallergenic properties because the fibers are so fine. A single coat requires a large number of precisely matched pelts, and the matching process alone—aligning the natural color gradient from slate-gray tips to white belly across the entire garment—takes considerable time before any cutting begins. Sourcing top-quality chinchilla pelts has become increasingly difficult. The number of pelts that meet the standard required for a truly high-quality coat is smaller than before, and prices are expected to rise accordingly. If you are considering a chinchilla piece, this season is a better time to buy than next.
Forecast: formal and evening wear. For a unique investment piece worn on special occasions, nothing rivals its surface quality.
Fox
The long guard hairs and voluminous undercoat of fox fur create an architectural warmth and visual drama that mink and sable don't attempt to achieve. Its natural color variations offer designers a ready-made palette. After a period of commercial sluggishness in recent seasons, fox prices rose by about 40 percent at the March 2026 sale, and all 275,000 fox and Finnraccoon pelts were sold.
Forecast: Fox is one of those materials that never truly goes away; it simply changes form. Some seasons, it dominates in full coats. Other times, it works in oversized collars, statement stoles, and trims on otherwise understated garments. This season, it's doing the latter, and doing it well. If you're building a fur wardrobe or adding a fur piece, a fox trim or statement collar is the kind of item that deserves its place every year, regardless of what the rest of the season is doing.
Color
The direction in terms of color is simple: as fur makes a comeback in fashion, the demand for natural colors increases. Undyed sable in honey and amber tones, Blackglama mink in a deep, natural black, the steely blue of chinchilla, the graphic contrast of swakara. Undyed fur is having a strong moment because the material itself speaks for itself. One last thing: spring and summer are the right time to buy Most people think about buying a fur coat from October to February. By then, the best-priced stock is already sold out, and if you're looking for a specific piece in a specific species and length, you're competing with everyone else who had the same idea at the same time.
The fur retail cycle goes against the instinct to buy in season. Prices are most competitive in the spring and summer, when demand is lower and retailers have more flexibility. The coat you buy in May is the same one that will be on the waiting list in November, and it will cost more in November. This isn't a sales pitch. It's simply how the inventory cycle works.
With Fall/Winter 2026-2027 shaping up to be one of the strongest fur seasons in recent memory, buying early makes extra sense this year. The auction results we described at the beginning of this article have pushed raw material costs to their highest level in over a decade. These costs will be reflected in what's available in stores starting in September. Buying now, while the season is still ahead of you, means getting the coat you actually want rather than what's left when temperatures drop.
At MANZARI, we take orders and create bespoke pieces year-round. If you have a specific breed, length, and construction in mind, the off-season is the perfect time to have it crafted to the highest standards and at a fair price. It will be ready for October, when the season begins and fur, if this prediction holds true, will be exactly where fashion is headed.
The short version
Long-haired or three-quarter-length sable is the prestige option. Sheared mink offers the widest range of possibilities. Swakara cat brings new customers to the category. Chinchilla cat is a good choice for someone making a one-time investment for a special occasion. Fox fur is back after a difficult period, re-evaluated and relevant again.
MANZARI has always sourced its furs from the finest lots of Saga Furs, Blackglama, and auction houses of similar quality and from similar suppliers. Every coat in our collection is constructed from whole pelts, with the construction tailored to the species and length. If you're looking to determine which style best suits your wardrobe, our team is available in our stores and online.
References
- Saga Furs Oyj, Official Announcement for the March 2026 Auction, sagafurs.com
- Saga Furs Oyj, Auction Reports for March 2025 and June 2025
- MANZARI, The most spectacular return of the fur market in a decade, manzari.store
- Associated Press, Chiuri makes her creative debut at Fendi with fur-focused looks, February 2026
Frequently asked questions
